Typewriting machine



July 3,1923. 1,460,846

. 4 E. B. HESS TYPEWRITING MACHINE Filed Sent. 2 1921 or raanna'rran mean, a scan, essranola 'ro norm, near, me, or new roan, 15.3., a some :1. men or r;

Application filed September 12, 18 21. enial he. $89,134:.

To aZZ whom it may concemr Be it known that I, EDWARD B. Hess, a citizen of the United States, residin at Manhattan Beach, Kings (/ounty, hlew York, N. 35., have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Typewriting Machines, of which the following is a speci- U fication.

' tuating devices.

This invention relates particularly to type actions for typewriting machines and espeially to type actions of the kind employed in front strike visible machines in which the type bars are moved from a position of rest toward the platen by the keys which are connected to the ty e bars by interposed acn some such machines the actuating devices are arranged in advance of the type bar pivots. In other machines the actuating mechanism is located in rear of the pivots of'the type bars. y present invention relates to the latter class of machines and according to my invention connections are made between the key levers and the type bars by means of in.- termediate levers, which are arranged in rear of the type bar pivots and are so connected to the heels of the type bars as to exert a rearward pull thereon. Preferably, bell-crank levers are employed, the shorter arms of which are operatively related with the key levers, while the longer arms, which are arranged in rear of the type bars, are connected to the heels of the type bars by links arranged in a novel way. The escapement mechanism is actuated ,by the bellcrank levers, which operate a universal bar equipped with improved cushioning and return devices.

Unless there is some means provided to prevent it, considerable noise is produced in the operation of the machine by the impact of the type on the platen.. In my application for patent filed July 1, 1921, now Patent No. 1,390,708, dated Sept. 13, 1921, I have shown, described and claimed means for reducing this noise by so connecting the key levers with the type bars that the type bars are moved positively to a position in front of the platen and at a considerable distance therefrom, the further movement of the type bars to the platen being caused by the momentum thereof; In the machine shown in said applicationfor patent, the

connections between the key levers and the type bars are made to the lower portions of the heeis of the type bars. According to my present inventlon' the links which connect the heels of the type bars to their 0 eratmg levers are arranged in rear of t e pivots of the type bars, the connections of the links being made to said heels above their pivots, and in the operation of the machine the upper ends of theheels of the type bars are pulled rearwardly to move the type bars positively toward the .platen.

he two-arm or bell-crank levers which are interposed between the key levers and the type bars are operatively related to a universal bar, arranged in rear of them, the arrangement being such that when the type bars are actuated the bell-crank levers, through their link connectionsv with the type bars, move the type bars in the manner before described and also operate the universal bar. Said universal bar comprises a frame carrying a pad, with which the bell-crank levers make contact, said frame being provided with an arm which makes contact with the escapement mechanism. The pad-carrying frame is secured to a plate, which is mounted on swinging links, and the movement of the frame is cushioned by a spring" or bufier, which operates to return the universal bar to normal position.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view, largely diagrammatic,

of portions of a typewriting machine embodying my improvements, some parts being shown in side elevation and some in section I Figure 2 is a detail view illustrating the link-connection between the heel of a type bar and the'upper end of a bell-crank lever, the parts being indicated in a dead-center position when the pivot points at opposite ends of the link are in a straight line with the pivot. of the type bar;

Figure 3 is a view, similar to Fig. 2, but showing the parts in a different positionthat is, when the pivot points at opposite ends of the link have passed the dead-center position.

tit

described. It will be observed,

an it at a, and their an ends being sup w by a cushioned rest I. The

key levers are pivoted at 9 near their rear ends, and operate in a comb guide J. The upward or return movement of the keys is limited by a cushioned stop K. The heel It of each t bar is connected by a link L with the n gt r end of a bell-crank or twoarm lever pivotally mounted at m below the key levers and having a re'arwardly extendin arm at provided with an anti-friction r0 or m y bearing against a kc lever. It will be wwl that each of t e type bars is connected with a bell-crank lever of the kind shown, and each bell-crank lever s opeigtively related to a key lever as indicate i The heel of each type bar is connected with an amociated key by a coiled spring N, which serves to hold the type bar and the key lever with which it is connected in normal positions and to assistin returning them to these positions after being operated.

Each of the levers M is adapted to operate the universal bar mechanism indicated generally at O. This mechanism compr ses a semi-circular frame 0, carrying a 'cushlon a, and supported by a plate o havmg upwardly extending lugs 0 to which are pivotally connected the upper ends of links P, the lower ends of which ar 'pivotally connected at to a stationary part Q ot the machine frame. 'lhe frame Q is formed with a member 9, having an ailing 1n it through which extends a bolt pivoted to one of the front 1i P at p and carrying a coiled sp R, which is interposed between the front link P and the member g. At its rear end, in rear of the member g the bolt carries adjusting nuts r, by means of which the tension of the spring may be varied. The arrangement is such that normally the parts a, 0' of the mechanism are held against the levers M and when the upper ends of these levers are moved rearwards the universal bar is correspondingly moved against the force of the spring R. The frame 0 is provided with a rearwardly extending arm S, which is adapted to make contact with a roller f on the arm f, forming part of the escapement mechanism. this escapement mechanism is of the wellknown Royal a' it need not be further however, that when the key levers and type bars are, in normal osition the arm S is arranged a consider is distance from the roller 7", so that in the operation of the machine the escapement mechanism is not actuated until after the levers have moved to a considdotted lines Z, in Fi. 1.

' Y As before stated, a. levers M are located in rear of the bar pivots, while the L'are connected to the his of the m bars above these pivots. The point of connection of a link L with the heel of at v bar at w moves rearwardl and downwa'r-il when its associated key is depressed, whi e the point of connection between the lever M and the link, also moves rearwardly.

en a key is operated the associated lever M is,so moved as to p the type bar toward the platen and said leveralso engages the universal bar and operates the escapement mechanism in the manner before described. The connections between the links 1L and the levers M and the type bars H are so made that when a key is de ressed the associated type-bar is first move to the osition shown by the dotted lines, at Z, in

i5. 1. This operation is rformed by a in depression of a key. that time the pivot points h, a: and y are arranged in a straight line with each other, i. e., they are in a dead-center position, as indicated in Fig. 2. No further depression of the key, therefore, occurs, but the momentum of the type bar carries it to the printing point, as indicated at Z, and the pivot points it, my, assume the ositions shown in Fig. 3. in this way noise caused by the impact of the type on the platen is greatl reduced.

, It will bc observed, by re erence to Fig. 1, that when a type bar reaches the position Z,

the link L occupies the dead-center position" shown at 1, and when the t pe bar moves forward to the platen the link L occupies the position shown by the dotted line 2, the

dead-center position then being broken. It will be understood that when this dead-cen- As the platen in such manner as to greatly reduce noise and the escapement mechanism is actuated while the type bars are being carried by their momentum at reduced s near the end of their movement to the printing point, these features. of the invention being embodied in a machine where the 1!; bars are actuated bymechanism lccated iii rear of their pivots.

I claim as my invention: I 1. In atypewritin machine, the combination with the levers in rear of t e arms operatively related with the key levers, v and arms having their upper en link-conovers and type'bars of bars whichhave" nected to the heels of the type bars above their pivots, the points of connection of each link with its ty e bar and associated lever arm being so re ated that a full depression of the key lever moves them into a straight line with the type bar pivot, the type bar then being at a considerable distance from the platen and completing its movement by its own momentum.

2. In a typewriting machine, the combination with the key levers and type bars of bell-crank levers in rear of the type bars which have arms operatively related with the key levers, and arms havmg their upper ends link-connected to the heels of the type bars above their pivots, the points of connection of each link with its type bar and associated lever arm being sorelated that a full depression of the key lever moves them into a straight line with the type bar pivot, the type bar then being at a considerable distance from the platen and com pletinlg its movement by its own momentum.

a typewriting machine, the combination with horizontally arranged key levers and horizontally arranged type bars, of hell crank levers in rear of the type bars which have short arms operatively related to the key levers and long arms having their upper ends'link-connected with the heels of the type bars above their pivots, the points of connection of each link with its type bar and. associated lever arm being so related that a full depression of the key lever mov s them into a straight line with the type bar pivot, the type bar then being at a considerable distance from the platen and completing its movement by its own momentum.

4. In a typewriting machine, the combination of a type action comprising a sublever, a universal bar in the rear thereof to be actuated thereby, means for supporting said universal bar to permit it to move fore and aft and comprising an arm, a bolt connected to said arm and having limited movable engagement with a fixed lug, and a spring surrounding said bolt, whereby the return movement of the universal bar is produced and limited.

5. In a typewritin machine, the combination with the ke evers and type bars of leversin rear of t e ty e bars which have arms operatively relate with the key levers, and arms having their upper ends linkconnected to the heels of the type bars above their pivots, the points of connection of each link with its type bar and associated lever arm being so related that a full depression of the key lever moves them into a straight line with the type bar pivot, the type bar then being at a considerable distance from the platen and completing. its movement by its own momentum, and a universal bar in the rear of the type bar pivots and operative only through the momentum perio of the type bar.

"6. In a typewriting machine, the combi-- nation with the key levers and type bars of levers in rear of t e type bars which have arms operatively related with'the key levers,

and arms having their upper ends link-connected to the heels of the type bars above their pivots, the points of connection of each link with its type bar and associated lever arm being so related that a full depression of the key lever moves them into a straight line with the type bar pivot, the type bar then being at a considerable distance from the platen and completing its movement by its own momentum, and a universal bar in the rear of the type bar pivots and in the rear of the sub-levers, and operated directly by the sublevers only during the momentum period of the type bar.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

EDWARD B. HESS. 

